Ex-Ghana defender Samuel Osei Kuffour believes referee Yuichi Nishimura marred the 2014 FIFA World Cup winner between Brazil and Croatia on Thursday night.
The Japanese referee awarded a controversial second half penalty to Brazil which was converted by Neymar to give the hosts a 2-1 lead.
According to Kuffour, who is a TV pundit for Supersport, though there was a minimal contact from Croatia defender Dejan Lovren on Brazilian Fred, it was not enough to merit a spot-kick.
The former Bayern Munich star believes Nishimura would admit his mistake after watching the replay.
"It wasn't enough to convince me that it was a penalty. For me, it was a soft decision,†Kuffour, who played in the 2006 finals, said.
“I think that if the referee sits down to assess the video, he would admit that he made a mistake."
Hosts Brazil went on to score the third goal through Oscar to seal a 3-1 win to go on top of Group A.